Physiotherapy apparatus



Sept@ 13 w49 A. K. BJQRKMAN PHYSIOTHERAPY APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2, 1946 o f 2 M Z/ Z/ .PZZLOr/zein Patented Sept. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,481,564 PHYSIOTHERAPY APPARATUS Axel K. Bjorkman, Waukegan, Ill. Application February 2, 1946, Serial No. 645,060

1 Claim.

This invention relates to physiotherapy apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to physiotherapy apparatus which is especially adapted for use in the treatment of arthritis of the hands and feet.

It is known that the treatment of arthritis, and particularly arthritis of the hands and feet, may be carried out by alternately immersing the hands and feet in hot and cold water. However, apparatus for the application of such alternate hot and cold water baths to the hands and feet is not readily available in the average home, hospital or sanitarum, or like place, and the treatment of this disease in this manner is, therefore, frequently rather difficult as a practical matter.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel physiotherapy apparatus which is particularly designed and constructed for use in the treatment of arthritis of the hands and feet by the application of alternate hot and cold water baths.

Another object of the invention is to construct and arrange the new physiotherapy apparatus in such a manner that it is portable and may be readily moved from place to place for use in homes, hospitals, sanitariums, and like places.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of the hot and cold Water containers and the supporting means therefor to enable the containers for the hot and cold water to be readily transported into a position which is convenient for use by the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement for heating the water in the hot water container without removing the container from the wheel-bearing cart on which the hot and cold containers are mounted for transportation.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claim and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional View illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a suitable electrical circuit which may be embodied in the invention for energizing and controlling the electrical heating element embodied therein.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and includes a wheelbearing cart IE) which comprises an elongated supporting base or body II having a pair of rear wheels I2 which are carried by journals 31 which are rotatably mounted in a supporting bracket I3 which is suspended from the body Il of the cart I0.

rIhe wheel-bearing cart Iii also includes a pair of iront wheels I4 which are carried by journals I8 which are rotatably mounted in a bracket I5 which is swivelly mounted, as at I6, upon the body II of the cart I0. A forwardly extending arm I'I is attached to the front aXle bracket I5 between the front wheels Ill and has a handle attached thereto for pulling the cart I0 from place to place.

As shown in Fig. l, the cart Ii! includes an upstanding retaining wall 23 which may be formed as an integral part of the body or base II of the cart Ill and extends around the marginal edge of the base I I on the upper side thereof.

The new physiotherapy apparatus includes a cold water container 20, which may be made of any suitable material such, for exampley as metal or the like, and is preferably oval shaped in plan, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. l, the container 20 includes a bottom wall 2l and a peripheral flange 22 which is formed by that portion of the side wall oi the container which projects below the bottom wall 2| and rests upon the upper surface of the body II of the cart I!) and is retained thereon by the upstanding retaining wall 23 on the body II of the cart IE).

The new physiotherapy apparatus also includes a hot water container 24 which likewise may be made of any suitable material such, for example, as aluminum or other like material, and includes a heat-conductive bottom wall 25 below which there extends a peripheral ange 25 which is formed by an extension of the side wall of the hot water container 24.

The peripheral ilange 26 of the hot water container 24 rests on the bottom wall I I of the wheelbearing cart IIJ and is retained in position thereon by the upstanding retaining wall 23 of the cart The hot water container 24 includes a supporting plate 27 which is oval shaped in plan and is rockably mounted in the hoi-l Water container 24 upon a rock shaft 28 which has itsend portions 2S journaled in suitable bearing brackets 39 which are attached to the side walls of the hot Water container 24 on the inner side thereof and in any suitable manner, as by welding or soldering. As shown in the drawing, the rock shaft 28 extends through and is fastened in a sleeve 40 which is formed integrally with the plate and extends thereacross.

An electric heating element 30 is arranged within an electrically non-conductive but heatconductive casing 3l which may be mounted in any suitable manner upon the front end portion 34 of the upstanding retaining wall 23 of the cart I l below the position occupied by the bottom wall 25 of the hot water container 24 when the latter is in position of use upon the base Il of the cart l0. The casing 3l may be made of any suitable electrically non-conductive but heat-conductive material such, for example, as asbestos, thermosetting resinous materials, or the like.

As shown in Fig. 3, the electrical heating element 3U is arranged within an electrical circuit 32 which has an outlet or connector plug 33 mounted in the front end portion 34 of the upstanding retaining wall 23 for connection with an electrical cord 35 which may lead to a Wall outlet or other suitable source of electric power. The electrical circuit 32 also includes a thermostatic control element 35, which may be of any suitable design and construction, and which may be mounted on the iront end portion 34 of the upstanding retaining wall 23 of the cart I0 below the plug or connector 33.

The connector plug or outlet 33 projects through a slot 38 which is formed in and extends to the bottom of the lower front end portion of the vertically extending bottom flange 26 of the hot water container 24 so that the latter may be placed in and removed from position of use without disturbing the outlet plug 33.

In the use of the new physiotherapy apparatus the 'not and cold water containers 24 and 20, respectively, may be mounted on the bottom wall l I of the wheel-bearing cart I0 and when so positioned are held in place by the upstanding marginal retaining wall 23 which surrounds the base Il of the cart Il). It will be noted that the containers 2E) and 24 are elliptical in shape and when in position of use their long axes extend crosswise of the long axis of the rectangular base H4 of the cart lil. This arrangement facilitates bringing the cart I 0 and the containers 20 and 24 carried thereby into a position adjacent to` and in close proximity with a chair, bed, or the like, from which the patient or user thereof may 4in sert his or her hands or feet alternately into the hot and cold water containers 24 and 20, respectively.

It will also be noted that the elliptical shape of the containers 20 and 24 and the position of their long axes crosswise relative to the long axis of the elongated base H of the Wheel-bearing cart lil facilitates the insertion of the patients feet alternately into the containers 20 and 24 when the cart I0 and the containers are in position of use.

The hot and cold water containers 24 and 20, respectively, are both smaller at the bottom than at the top thereof and when in position of usev the lower end portions 22 and 281 of their vertically extending side walls t snugly Within the retaining wall 23 with the4 upper edge portions 39 of the side walls being in close proximity (Fig. 2). This arrangement facilitates maintaining the containers 2U and 24 in upright position upon but against sliding or tipping movement in or relative to the elongated base Il of the wheelbearing cart IU.

It will further be noted that the hot water container 24 may be lled up to a suitable height and the outlet cord 35 attached to the plug 33 so as to energize the heating element 30, whereupon heat will be transmitted through the heat-conductive bottom wall 25 of the hot water container 24 to heat the water therein to a suitable temperature. When this temperature is reached the thermostatic control element 36, which may be of any suitable design and construction, will automatically open the circuit 32 to the heating element 30 and will thus prevent the water in the hot water container 2.4 from becoming overheated.

In the use of the new physiotherapy apparatus, the aected hand or foot of the patient may be alternately immersed for a prescribed length of time in the hot and cold water containers 24 and 3, respectively. Such alternate immersion stimulates the circulation of the blood in the affected hand or foot of the patient with resulting benefits to the patient or user.

In the use of the hot Water container 24, the patient may place his or her hand or foot upon the rockable plate 21 and rock the same upon its supporting rock shaft 28, thereby agitating the hot water in the hot water container 24 so as to distribute the heat from the heating element 30 substantially uniformly throughout the entire volume or body of water in the hot water container 24.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, that the present invention provides a new and improved physiotherapy ap,- paratus having the desirable advantages and characteristics', and accomplishing its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

A physiotherapy apparatus especially adapted for the treatment of arthritis of the hands and feet and comprising a portable cart including a wheel-bearing horizontally extending supporting base having an upstanding retaining wall extending around the marginal edge of the base, a pair of substantially elliptical-shaped liquid containers co-axially arranged upon the supporting base of the said portable cart, within the said upstanding retaining wall thereon, and with their long axes arranged at substantially a right anglertoA the front to rear axis of the said portable cart, each of the said liquid containers including a vertically extending side wall andr the said vertically extending sideY Walls having theiry lowerend portions fitting withlin the said upstanding retaining wall and retained` thereby against sliding or tipping movement upon and relative to thesaid horizontally extending supporting base of the said portable wheel bearing cart, one of the said liquid containers including a horizontally extending bottom wall extending thereacross. above the lower end portion of the vertically extending, side wall of' the said one of the said liquid containers, the saidv physiotherapy apparatus including an electrical circuit embodying an electrical heating element disposed below thesaid horizontally extending bottom Wall of the said one liquid container for electrically heating liquid therein, the said one liquid container inthe action of a cold liquid in the said other one of cluding a plate member rockably mounted in the the said liquid containers.

lower end portion thereof and adapted to sup- AXEL K BJORKMAN port the hand or foot of the user rested thereon during use of the said physiotherapy apparatus, 5 REFERENCES CITED the said one of the said liquid containers having The following references are of record in the the said plate member rockably mounted therein fue of this patent: being adapted to contain a hot liquid and the other one of the said liquid containers being UNITED STATES PATENTS adapted to contain a cold liquid whereby the 10 Number Name, Date user of the Said physiotherapy apparatus may 654,973 Hawke; July 31, 1900 alternately subject an affected hand or foot to 1,063,614 Stanley et al. June 3, 1913 the action of hot liquid in the said one liquid con- 2,321,981 Bowers June 15, 1943 tainer, agitated by the action of the affected hand 2,392,203 Wlken Jan- 1 1946 or foot in rocking the said plate member, and to 15 

